Pain is a cheap price for truth. So say the inquisitors, divine warriors dedicated to the cause of truth by any means necessary. An inquisitor combines a plethora of physical tricks with an array of magical ones, but their greatest power lies in their ability to influence others. Whether it be through threats, connections, lies or torture, an inquisitor is likely to get his way.

Inquisitors don't always dedicate themselves to a single church or religion, as the name might imply. They're just as likely to follow solely the cause of truth. An inquisitor can be a particularly vicious priest of a lawful god, an independent agent furthering his own brand of justice, or a torturer with a set of twisted morals. All inquisitors have divine powers, however, so it is clear that something is looking down on them with benevolence.

An inquisitor works a support role both in and out of combat. Their ability to influence an opposing force, whether through magic in the midst of battle or by carefully chosen words in the quiet streets, is their strongest side. A group without a bard or a cleric can find an inquisitor a valuable ally, thanks to their buffs, debuffs and healing magic. They can even hold their own in close quarters - just don't expect them to tank.

Abilities:Charisma is the most important ability for an inquisitor, since many of their special abilities as well as their spellcasting depends on it. Intelligence is also good for inquisitors, since they thrive on their skills, as is Constitution, since flagellate demands a high hit point total. The other abilities are determined by your choices: melee or ranged? Tough or strong-willed? You be the judge.

Races: Most inquisitors come from races that tend towards lawful and not particularly towards good: such societies often have niches for an inquisitor to fill. Dwarven and human inquisitors might be the most common, but all races have their share of these warriors of dark justice.

Alignment: Any nonchaotic. On the good-evil axis, inquisitors tend to move away from good, since it's very hard to keep to your morals when you deal with the worst of the worst. That said, there are lawful good inquisitors, which doesn't mean they're washed-out versions of the class at all.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Inquisitors are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the flail, heavy flail, long sword, longbow, net, short sword, shortbow, and whip. Inquisitors are proficient with light and medium armor, but not with shields.

Spells: An inquisitor casts divine spells, which are drawn from the inquisitor spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, an inquisitor must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an inquisitor's spell is 10 + the spell level + the inquisitor's Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, an inquisitor can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Inquisitor. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score. When Table: The Inquisitor indicates that the inquisitor gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Charisma score for that spell level. An inquisitor may cast any spell on the inquisitor spell list, provided that he can cast spells of that level. Inquisitors choose their spells from the following list:

Befitting Force (Ex): Inquisitors are masters of making sure their victim doesn't succumb too fast and use nonlethal methods to catch their quarry alive, but they also know when and how to hit hard. An inquisitor can use a melee weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage without taking a -4 penalty on the attack roll. Likewise, an inquisitor can use a weapon that deals nonlethal damage, including an unarmed strike, to deal lethal damage without taking a -4 penalty on the attack roll.

Presence: The mere proximity of an inquisitor makes the bravest men quaver with fear, the most hostile thugs seek to please, and the wisest men turn to folly. Exhibiting a presence is a swift action, and an inquisitor can only exhibit one presence at a time. A presence remains in effect until the inquisitor uses a free action to dismiss it or he activates another presence in its place. An inquisitor can have a presence active continually; thus, a presence can be in effect at the start of an encounter even before the inquisitor takes his first turn.

Unless otherwise noted, an inquisitor's presence affects all creatures (except the inquisitor himself) within 30 feet with line of effect to him. He can choose to (and usually wants to) exclude any number of creatures from being affected by his presence. An inquisitor's presence is dismissed if he becomes unconscious or is slain, but otherwise it remains in effect even if he is incapable of acting.

When applicable, the Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an inquisitor's presence is 10 + ½ the inquisitor's Hit Dice + the inquisitor's Charisma modifier. A 1st-level inquisitor knows how to exhibit two presences chosen from the list below. At certain levels after that (see Table: The Inquisitor), an inquisitor learns one additional presence of his choice, until all five presences are known at 10th level. Each time an inquisitor activates a presence, he can choose from any of the presences that he knows.

Coercing: Creatures within the inquisitor's presence take a -4 penalty on level checks to oppose the inquisitor's Intimidate checks.

Commanding: When the inquisitor speaks to a creature within his presence, that creature must succeed on a Will save or be fascinated for as long as the inquisitor is addressing it and does nothing else. This presence can only affect one creature at a time.

Overwhelming: Creatures within the inquisitor's presence take a -1 penalty on attack rolls and damage rolls.

Subjugating: Creatures within the inquisitor's presence take a -1 penalty on Will saves.

Terrifying: Creatures within the inquisitor's presence must succeed on a Will save or be shaken for as long as they remain within the inquisitor's presence.

Nonlethal Damage Reduction (Ex): Inquisitors are used to pain on both sides of the coin: dealing it and withstanding it. Many of the more wicked actually take a masochistic delight in it. At 2nd level, an inquisitor gains damage reduction 4/- against nonlethal damage. This increases to 8/- at 6th level, 12/- at 10th level, 16/- at 14th level and 20/- at 18th level.

Spectral Hand (Sp): Inquisitors are masters of delivering touch spells from a distance, the better to heal friends and harm foes. Starting at 3rd level, an inquisitor can use spectral hand at will, except the range is close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels).

At 12th level, the inquisitor's spectral hand becomes permanent, and doesn't make the inquisitor lose hit points when cast. If it is destroyed or dispelled, it can be cast again as normal.

Advanced Learning (Ex): At 3rd level and every third level thereafter, an inquisitor can add a new spell to his list, representing the result of personal study and experimentation. The spell must be a of a level no higher than that of the highest-level spell the inquisitor already knows. Once a new spell is selected, it is forever added to the inquisitor's spell list and can be cast just like any other spell on his list. An inquisitor always uses a spell at its highest level: for example, if an inquisitor were to add fire trap to his spell list, he would cast it as a 4th-level spell, even though it's a 2nd-level spell for a druid.

Diehard: An inquisitor gains Diehard as a bonus feat at 4th level, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

Flagellate (Ex): Inquisitors can turn their own pain into the suffering of others. Starting at 5th level, an inquisitor can choose to take 5 hit points of damage to add an extra 2d6 damage to a melee attack. The choice to flagellate is made before the attack roll is made.

The extra damage dealt by flagellate increases to 3d6 at 11th level and 4d6 at 17th level.

Break the Cowed (Ex): Inquisitors spread fear where the walk, and they're extremely adept at abusing those who are overcome by terror. An 8th-level inquisitor deals 2 extra damage against creatures who are shaken, 4 extra damage against creatures who are frightened, 6 extra damage against creatures who are panicked, and 8 extra damage against creatures who are cowering.

Specialization (Ex): When it comes to their tools of torturous trade, each inquisitor is unique: one might specialize in purging the heretics with fire, while an another knows the secrets of corrosive fluids. At 12th level, an inquisitor chooses bludgeoning, piercing, slashing or nonlethal. Whenever the inquisitor deals that type of damage to a creature, that creature must succeed on a DC (10 + ½ the inquisitor's Hit Dice + the inquisitor's Charisma modifier) Fortitude save or become sickened for 1d4 rounds.

At 16th level, an inquisitor chooses positive energy or negative energy. The above applies to that type of damage as well.

At 20th level, an inquisitor chooses acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic. The above applies to that type of damage as well.

Spells: The inquisitor's caster level is equal to his or her class level. The inquisitor's number of spells per day does not increase after 20th level.

Greater Presence: An inquisitor of 21st level improves the effectiveness of his five presences. The ability otherwise remains the same.

Coercing: Creatures within the inquisitor's presence take a -8 penalty on level checks to oppose the inquisitor's Intimidate checks.

Commanding: When the inquisitor speaks to a creature within his presence, that creature must succeed on a Will save or be fascinated for as long as the inquisitor is addressing it and does nothing else. This presence can affect any number of creatures within the presence.

Overwhelming: Creatures within the inquisitor's presence take a -2 penalty on attack rolls and damage rolls.

Subjugating: Creatures within the inquisitor's presence take a -2 penalty on Will saves.

Terrifying: Creatures within the inquisitor's presence must succeed on a Will save or be frightened for as long as they remain within the inquisitor's presence.

Advanced Learning (Ex): The inquisitor adds a new spell to his list every third level after 18th (21st, 24th, 27th and 30th).

Flagellate (Ex): The extra damage dealt by flagellate increases by +1d6 every 6th level after 17th (23rd and 29th).

Bonus Feats: The epic inquisitor gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic inquisitor bonus feats) every four levels after 20th.

Religion: Inquisitors are very often, but not always, dedicated to some religion or creed. This doesn't mean they venerate any specific god, however: many work more generally "in the name of justice", or worship several nonchaotic deities. Depending on their nature, an inquisitor often pays tribute to either Heironeus or Hextor. Many also venerate St. Cuthbert, while dwarven inquisitors serve Moradin and halfling inquisitors serve Yondalla.

Other Classes: Inquisitors are half-casters and half-combatants, so they need support on both fronts to achieve their full potential. An inquisitor can serve as a more damage-oriented healer or a powerful debuffer, and fights well alongside a more traditional melee combatant.

Combat: The distance an inquisitor stands from his foes depends on his gear and specialization. Some take the more spell-oriented route, standing back and devastating foes with spells while simultaneously aiding allies. Some take to the fray, using their weapons and magic in an offensive fashion.

Advancement: The slow magical progression means that an inquisitor might want to stick to the class for a while. On the other hand, a few levels of inquisitor and a few of, say, fighter or rogue can create a more straightforward combat character with just a pinch of divine might.

You are to be judged by Moradin's will. This hammer represents that will.

”

—Albin Hammerfall, dwarven inquisitor

Inquisitors travel far and wide. Where there's justice to be served, heretics to be punished or wrongdoers to set straight, you can be sure to find a few hard men and women wearing the inquisitorial robes.

Daily Life: Inquisitors spend most of their time investigating those accused of anything that's deemed under their jurisdiction - hence the name. Traveling inquisitors tend to be very self-sufficient, although they are usually city folk and less suited to the wilds.

Organizations: Very few inquisitors are independent, with most serving (as hired hands or as volunteers) churches, lords or governments. Some Inquisitions are powerful organizations by themselves, and either control the lands where they are situated or rent out their expertize to those in charge.

NPC Reactions: Inquisitors are often respected or feared, but very rarely loved. The exact reactions people have to inquisitors depends on the country. In chaotic lands, the only thing keeping the people from outright attacking inquisitors is the power they wield.

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (nobility and royalty) or Knowledge (religion) can research inquisitors to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Inquisitors are a combined judge, jury and execution of their jurisdictions. They serve many roles: they hunt criminals, interrogate them, and if the need presents itself, infiltrate the foe.

10

All inquisitors are skilled at influencing other people, and their mere presence often leaves weaker men reeling.

15

Inquisitors complement their powerful, pain-derived fighting prowess with divine spells, and are gifted at both healing and harming with magic.

20

Inquisitors are nothing if not specialized: some know the workings of blades in and out, while others prefer electricity as their tool of trade. Even their spells of choice are often learned from other casters.

Inquisitors are a fun class to play both in and out of combat. Their variety of skills - as well as lots of skill points - means that they work well as skill monkeys, especially when supported by magic. Meanwhile, their combat capabilities aren't diminished because of this.

Sample Encounter: Mount Dwerrow is a divided kingdom. The mountain fortress, traditionally a mountain dwarf settlement, accepted a contingent of hill dwarves who were made refugees by a rampaging dragon. The tensions between the two groups run high, and Torome, an inquisitor of Moradin, is the only one who stands between violence.

EL 8: Torome works with four lesser apprentices, each of which is a 3rd-level warrior equipped with a heavy flail and a heavy crossbow. Any who try to scheme for the superiority of either group will have to answer to Torome.

Torome can use a melee weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage without taking a -4 penalty on the attack roll. Likewise, Torome can use a weapon that deals nonlethal damage, including an unarmed strike, to deal lethal damage without taking a -4 penalty on the attack roll.

Presence

Torome knows the coercing, overwhelming and terrifying presences. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw againt her presence is 15.

Torome can choose to take 5 hit points of damage to add an extra 2d6 damage to a melee attack. The choice to flagellate is made before the attack roll is made.

Torome's power as a combatant is in her abilities. Two of her four guards stand before her, absorbing blows and benefiting from her magic, while two stand back and pelt foes with their crossbows. Torome casts summon swarm (usually summoning bats) and eagle's splendor at the earliest opportunity, then concentrates on healing friends with cure spells and devastating foes with inflict spells. Spectral hand makes it all possible. Torome usually has overwhelming or terrifying presence on, depending on how strong-willed her opponents are, and will close the distance and use flagellate to finish foes.